Umar said: “These women are curiously desperate for ingesting drugs, packing same on their bodies and inserting in their private parts.

“The first one, Uzoma Alaka, 47, was found with 1.180kg of cocaine. She inserted 260 grammes of cocaine in her private parts and ingested 60 wraps weighing 920 grammes.

“The second suspect, Priscilla Chukwujekwu, 45, was caught with 1.455 kilogrammes of cocaine. She packed 59 wraps on her body, inserted one parcel weighing 1.285 kilogrammes in her private part and ingested 10 wraps weighing 170 grammes. They are both from Anambra State”.

Priscilla said she wanted to establish herself financially to take care of her children.

“I am married to a soldier but he abandoned me 10 years ago when he retired from the Army. I got married early because there was no money for me to further my studies after my primary education. My husband who is a retired soldier abandoned me 10 years ago. Since then my life has been sorrowful.

“I sell female clothes and shoes to take care of my children. I met a man at the market who promised to assist me in my business by making me an importer.

“This was how we began to talk on phone. He gives me recharge cards and money to sustain myself. It was the day I was to travel that he told me that I would take drugs to China. He took me to a hotel where I was given the drugs and 6000 dollars to buy my goods in China. I could only swallow ten wraps, so I forced some into my private part and packed others in my underwear”.

Uzoma said her husband abandoned her with seven children, adding: “I sell female bags and shoes to sustain myself and my children. My husband left me in 2005 and since then, I have been facing several challenges. I took loan to travel to China and in the process; I incurred huge debt which compounded my problems.

“At a point, I had no money for food, school fees and even house rent. This was what made me to smuggle drugs. I swallowed 59 wraps of drugs all through the night because of 6,000 dollars. I also packed some in my underwear and one in my private part. It was a terrible experience. I feel so sad that I have to end up this way as a Christian.”

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Ahmadu Giade said the action of the women was disgraceful.

According to him, “it is good that the drugs were detected here by our officials because China has capital punishment for drug trafficking. This arrest saved them from death and the country from embarrassment. Their action is utterly disgraceful because as mothers, they ought to be of good example to their children.”

‘I swallowed 59 wraps of drugs all through the night because of 6,000 dollars. I also packed some in my underwear and one in my private part. It was a terrible experience. I feel so sad that I have to end up this way as a Christian’